The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-03

| dIS INHERENT, ana IL matter is an en-
tity SO is life. We build on them q
totally different group of sciences.
4. On physical forces, or what Br
Yates calls material life, we build the
science of astronomy, physics, and me-
hanics; on chemical force we build
the science of chemistry; on vital
force or life, we build biology, phys
lology, botany, zoology, embrylogy,
anatomy, medicine, surgery. Without
life this last group of sciences would
not exist. Are they founded on moth
hing? If not, they are on something,
and life is an entity.
Energy or force is defined by scien-
lists as that which does work. If we
find new kind of work done, we infer
logically, there is new force in action
that does this new work. The build
ing of organisms is new work; there
fore life is new force. 1t must be an
entity, for nonentity or nothing could
not do work. 1t is the intuition of the
reason, necessary law of thought, and
an axiom of philosophy and science,
that every effect must have a cause. If
there is produced a new effect, we log
ically infer that it has been produced
by the action of a new cause. Living
organisms are new effects They have
never resulted from the action of chem
ical or physical forces; therefore, as new
effects, they prove the existence of a
new cause or force. A cause must be
something. Nothing could not pro
duce effects.
Life, or the vital organizing, build
ing force, presents the phenomena of
living, feeding, growing, and reproduc-
tion, or procreatiJn. There is nothing
like this i'll all nature only in connec-
tion with living organisms. This vital
phenomena can only be produced by
the action of vital force, just as phys
ical phenomena can only be produced
by physical force.
Scientific authorities sustain the doc.
trine of vital force, or vital action, and
phenomena. sThis essential principle
of life," says DR.. Donaldson sis a posi-
tive entity, transmitted through the
medium of the nerves, but not created
or evolved from them. Its elaboration
is in great degree independent of the
function of the body" (Donaldson's
Medical Counselor, p. 38). Drummond
lays it down as generally received
doctrine of science, that "all life is from
life.o (sNatural Law in the Spirit
ual World)." DR.. Payne, in his ''Insti-
tutes Of Medicine, 2 very able work,
advocates tYfg sans doctfifie.s es''Asss'@s@s
LeConte, an eminent American scien-
tist, in paper published in the Pop
ular Science Monthly" advocates the
same theory. DIR. Sidartha Merton,
man of large scientific attainments,
says: "The organic cell is the artisan
of life. The vital forces are localized
in the nucleus of the cell.' The Duke
of Argyll says: "Science has cast no
light on the ultimate nature of life,
but whatever it be, it has fundamental
elsm 4nts which are the same through
the whole circle of the organic world"
Unity of Nature" p. 29).
DR.. Lionel Beale says: 1.-The source
of all function, as well as structure and
character of all forms and types is the
structureless." This high authority
thus shows the life IS the source or
cause OF organization, and not organi-
zation the cause of life. Life or its
equivalents we find in all language, in
all literature, all law civil and criminal,
and in all science that deals with Or
ganic phenomena. Is there no distinct
thing or thought represented by this
name? Is the word meaningless
Then why do we all use it +? Why do
we not use molecular action, physical
force, chemical force, to describe organic
phenomena? The reason is, we know
such words will not correctly aud truly
describe the phenomena we call vital.
We use different word, because we
wish to describe different thing. This
phenomena is vital; the force that pro-
duces it IS life. W.T..
Mount Gledd. O.